Can Marriott Travel Agent Rates really save you money on your hotel booking?

 

What are Marriott Travel Agent Rates?

Like other major hotel brands and travel providers, Marriott is known for offering preferred lower rates to travel agents, either for the agents to use for personal stays or so they can book on behalf of clients.

The Marriott Travel Agents site does more than just offer a discount, however. In addition to a discount of up to 50%, Marriott offers travel tools and resources, pays 10% commission and even has its own online training program, Hotel Excellence! where travel agents are educated about the industry. Marriott's Preferred Travel Agency Program is available to agencies with at least one consultant who has an IATA, ARC, IATAN or TIDS number. The consultant needs to complete the Hotel Excellence! training program as well as any ongoing education requirements, which you can read more about here.

Marriott may offer higher commission amounts for special offer bookings as well as properties that are further discounted for promotions. Right now, clients can benefit from these offers in Hawaii or Houston:



Plus the exclusive Fam-Tastic Rates program is offered to agents themselves once they are Hotel Excellence! graduates. Rates start from  just $44 at thousands of participating hotels and resorts around the world, including certain resorts in the Caribbean or Mexico from just $89:

How do I use Marriott Travel Agent Rates?

You can directly access the site here or follow the link for Travel Agents from the Marriott website:



Sign in to the site with your IATA, ARC, IATAN or TIDS number and you can then access the booking area, check the online commission service and utilize all the tools and resources.

Note that when travel agents book a personal stay, including a Fam-Tastic rate, photo ID of proof of eligibility is required at check-in.

What else do I need to know about Marriott Travel Agent Rates?

There doesn't seem to be a public way to check the rates before booking, so we can't compare to show you example savings. Travel Industry Discounts states that Marriott Travel Agent rates can be anywhere from 15% to 50% off.

However, travel agents can use the code TVL when booking on Marriott.com to get travel industry rates, without having to use the Marriott Travel Agents site. We searched for a one-night stay in San Antonia on January 24th, 2017, and the TownePlace Suites San Antonio Downtown came out at $175 for Marriott Rewards members or $179 for non-members (both before taxes and fees):



By simply adding the code TVL to the 'Corporate/promotional code' box under 'Special Rates' in the booking, the stay is reduced to $89 before taxes and fees - a discount of $86, which is 49% off the member rate:



The rate details clearly state the eligibility required to use this code and that relevant ID is required:



So it seems that if you're a travel professional, you can certainly benefit in several ways by using Marriott Travel Agents, as well as by using the TVL code on Marriott.com, but always compare rates on the main Marriott site before booking, just in case.